A Nightmare and a Reveal
by Suou-Akaika-Akemi
Summary: Prompted by a tumblr post i found on pinterest, marinette has a nightmare and instead of calling alya she accidentally calls adrien... fluff ensured and a reveal too.


**Important! Read author's note at the end! I don't own the characzers, nor the complete plot (read authors note at the end as to why) also, there are mentions of different absurd or ridiculous fears, and some parts might have come down as rude or blunt (according to my opinion, that is). So i profoundly apologise in advance to anyone who actually suffers from these fears, because this fic isn't meant to make fun of them. Or fun of anyone who had any fears. Despite this, pls enjoy this pure fluff fic.**

 **Enjoy!**

 _'Marinette ran as fast as her feet would let her. Everyone around her would scream at her and tell her how much they hated her becaise it was all her fault. All her fault that they died. Everyone in Paris slowly absorbed an akuma, and each of them chased after the young designer with murderous intent, chanting everything that happened was her fault_.'

Marinette jolted upright with a shriek, gasping and panting for air. She clutched her chest as tears started slowly trickling down her cheeks. Then, as if a dam opened, the tears flooded and dampened her face, her neck and her knees as she pulled them close to her chest. Tikki was deeply asleep in her alcove, and Marinette didn't have the heart to wake the small kwami up. She needed Alya to talk this through, just like they usually did whenever one of them had a nightmare. Through her blurry eyes, she blindly reached for her phone and dialled, thinking she was calling Alya. Taking a calming breath, which was shakier than she'd like to admit, she waited for her bestie to pick up.

Adrien had been sitting on the couch reading as he couldn't fall asleep, unlike Plagg, who was drooling on his pillow. He jerked as his phone's shrill buzzing went off and stood up to answer it, wondering who would call at such an ungodly hour as 2:49 am. The screen showed 'Mari' with a smiley face and Adrien's brows shot up high. He picked up the phone and opened his mouth to greet and ask what's up, but Marinette didn't give him the chance.

"S-sorry f-for call-calling at s-such an h-hour, but I re-really need y-you," she sobbed. Adrien blinked. He was about to speak again, but he was promptly interrupted before he could utter a sound. "I-I had a n-nightmare," she gasped. Adrien figured out that much, but wouldn't she call Alya? Wondering, he moved to lie on his bed beside Plagg as Marinette sobbed and spoke in a shaky voice. "I-it was th-the wor-rst I-I've ever h-had. F-first m-my parents d-die in a-a c-carcrash I pro-provoked a-and th-their s-souls continued to-to haunt m-me, telling m-me I was a-at f-fault." Adrien's eyes widen as she stuttered through the story, realising how bad the nightmare was. He was still left wondering why Marinette called him, but she went on rambling about the horrible dream. "Then, th-there was th-this fr-friend of m-mine, who de-decided to backst-stab me, and s-so did you, N-Nino and Ad-Adrien too." What? Adrien? Didn't she know he was Adrien? Oh. Oh, that explained something. She thought she had called Alya, but probably pressed the wrong contact and ended up calling him (not that he's complaining). "A-and a-all o-of you bl-blamed me f-for my par-rents' death, a-and Ch-Chat Noir di-died too and I - I me-mean L-Ladybug d-disappeared a-and every-everyone in P-Paris got a-akumatised an-and everyone b-blamed me a-and wanted t-to ki-kill me." Her breath hitched as she supressed a shudder and a sob. "A-Alya? You there?"

"Yeah, but I'm not Alya, I'm Adrien," Adrien gently said. He heard Marinette muffle a shriek.

"OhmygodI'msorryAdrienIthoughtyouwereAlyaohmygodI'llhangupsorryagain-"

"Mari!" Adrien chuckled gently. "Calm down, it's fine, plus it's just plain old me." He could hear Marinette mumble a shaky 'okay'. "Your dream must have been really bad, but I assure you, there's no way Alya, Nino or I would do such a thing. And neither would your parents. They especially would make an effort to relieve your guilt."

"I-I know s-so, but it w-was so real in my d-dream," Marinette fumbled with the words, "th-that I couldn't h-help but believe a-all my frien-nds and f-family h-hate me."

"I feel you. Believe me, I've had similar dreams," Adrien sighed with a sad smile. "And who was that first friend you said, who backstabbed you for first?"

"U-um, y-you won't laugh or call me a l-liar?"

"Why would I?" The model wondered aloud with a raised brow.

"B-because that friend of m-mine is C-Chat Noir," the designer admitted. Adrien grinned only mildly surprised. He had visited Mari pretty frequently as Chat and they had grown close pretty soon.

"Really?" He inquired, acting as if he were stupefied. "Well, I don't think Chat Noir would backstab you. He doesn't seem like that person at all." He hummed a gentle tune while listening to the girl's reply.

"I-I know, in fact he isn't. He's very loyal," Marinette said smiling warmly as she dried her damp cheeks, calming down while listening to Adrien's soft voice that somehow was really really familiar, but from somewhere else.

"Right," he beamed. "Hey, you know, last time I got scared like this due to a nightmare was two weeks or so ago."

"Really? You should've called me!" Marinette exclaimed, then blushed at the fact that she sounded a tid bit eager. Adrien chukled.

"I didn't know you were available, but I will call you if I have another one," he said grinning. "You know, it was a really bad nightmare. It has kinda haunted me since then."

"Want to tell me about it?" Marinette tentatively inquired.

"You wouldn't mind?" Adrien perked up. This was the first time someone actually wanted to listen to his fears. (He'd never tell Nino any of his problems or fears, because he would only get madder at his father...).

"No, I wouldn't mind. Especially since you listened to my blabbering too," the girl beamed. "So?"

"Well, it was a horrible nightmare," Adrien sighed. "It was a normal day, but in the morning I had my father eat breakfast with me. Which was nice, considering I barely see him." He gulped down the lump in his throat and continued. "But he started emotionally and psychologically abusing and attacking me. Saying how it was my fault that mother disappeared and died. How it was my fault he never had happiness. How I was disgraceful to the Agreste name. Even the picture of my mother started speaking in tandem with father, both repeating the same horrible things. I ran to school, where everyone would be hostile towards me, even you and Nino. Everyone would bully me, call me a snob, a double-faced sly jerk, so I left school too. And when I ran into Ladybug she scolded me and told me to hang myself up, because everything bad in the city was my fault. Including the akumas."

"Oh, my God. That must have been really bad," Marinette croaked out in a barely audible whisper.

"It was," Adrien said shrugging.

"But you know, akumas are not your fault, they're Hawk Moth's responsability. And you know that no one would be hostile with you in school? Especially not us. Not me." Marinette cleared her throat," because we are friends."

"I know, Mari," Adrien smiled fondly. "I know."

"And Ladybug would never say such a thing to you. Not to you," the designer said blushing. "She wouldn't say that to a person she hates either."

"I know," Adrien grinned. "She is a really sweet lady, isn't she?"

"Y-yeah, sure," Marinette squawked blushing more. "A-anyways, your mother wouldn't blame you either for her death. Nither your father. I - I think your father does love you. It's just that he won't show it. Your mother too. She's definitely keeping an eye on you from above."

"You think so?" Adrien inquired, eyes widening with hope as he sat up, his heartbeat quickening.

"I think so," Mari agreed gently. "Both your parents love you Adrien." Adrien blinked, trying to supress the tears that threatened to escape.

"Th-thanks Mari," he croaked out, voice quivering. Damn he stuttered.

"It's all right, Adrien," the girl chuckled. "Are you afraid of being left behind by everyone?"

"I... I am," the boy admitted after a short hesitance. "I am. I am afraid that people will hate me and leave me behind. That I'm only a burden for everyone and everyone would want me to disappear."

"Adrien, that's not true. You are increadibly selfless, tolerant, sweet, kind, humble- and oh, I'll just shut up." Marinette's face was practically on fire and Adrien too, felt a blush creeping up his neck.

"Y-you mean it?" He timidly asked.

"I-I do," the girl admitted, deciding to go bold. "And I think much more. You're, honest, trustworthy, loyal, smart and understanding, despite your hard family life you never fail to smile. A proper smile, not the model smile you hind behind. You are deprived from love yet you aren't selfish and go demanding attention like Chloè and you don't boast about your richness. More like you try to hide it or help out others without wanting anything in return." If Mari's face was already on fire, by now she was practically glowing, her face being hot as the Sun, frying her brain.

"T-thank you Mari," an equally blushing Adrien squeaked.

"I-it's nothing!"

"A-and what are you afraid of?" The boy inquired trying to make things less awkward.

"U-umm, well... I..." Marinette fumbled for the right words before speaking again. "I-I am afraid of disappointing people. Of not being capable to perform what I'm expected to do. Amd of course I have a pretty low self-confidence and self-esteem. Just a baker's daughter, a wannabe fashion designer. I don't even speak Chinese properly, though it's supposed to be my mother toungue because of maman." Her voice was barely above whisper now, full of melancholy.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Adrien said sternly albeit lightly. "Don't you dare to think anything similar. You are smart, kind, selfless - too selfless, if you ask me, talented in drawing and baking - your cookies and designs are seriously to die for, increadibly witty - even if you aren't around me, I know you are, because I observe you a lot, you are a natural leader and take care of everyone in a group, you are responsible, strong, not afraid of expressing your opinion, you care about morals, you are honest and never lie." Marinette's brainwater was long boiling by now as the heat on her face became unbearable and she resembled Nathanaël's hair from head till the tip of her ears and down till her shoulders. Adrien wasn't doing mich better as he looked exactly like Ladybug's suit (save for the black spots he didn't have). "And before you ask me, I mean it. All of it. You're amazing Mari."

"T-thank you a lot, Adrien," Marinette croaked.

"Hey, it's nothing," Adrien smiled covering his lap woth the blanked and covering a slightly shivering Plagg with a thicker handkerchief. "Want me to tell you something funny and embarrassing?" Somehow, inexplicably, he desperately wanted to hear her laugh.

"What?"

"My photographer called me a 'wittle kindergawdenew' in baby panties when I had my first underwear photoshoot this week." Marinette choked on her spit.

"You what?!" She snorted, holding back a hysterical laughter unsuccesfully, letting giggles escape her lips. "'Wittle kindewgawdenew'?! Really?!"

"Yeah," the boy sheepishly admitted and Marinette let out a shriek of laughter.

"More importantly, you having and underwear shoot?!"

"Yeah," Adrien dedpanned flatly. "Don't even remind me. It was horrible. I looked like a horribly cheesy horny wanton teen."

"Pfft-" Marinette erupted in another fit of giggles.

"Hey! Not funny! At least not this much..."

"Sure is!" Marinette chirped. "Hey, ypu know what else is funny? Or weird I would say. The irony in it is the funny part."

"What?"

"Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia, which would be fear of long words," the girl explained.

"What?!"

"Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia."

"God, the irony of it," Adrien dedpanned again, facepalming at the irony.

"I know, right? Besides, is there actually someone who is afraid of long words?" Marinette wondered aloud, curiously.

"Maybe. I have no idea such a fear even existed..." Adrien mused. "Or genuphobia, fear of knees."

"Of knees?" The designer blinked surprised. "That's also strange."

"I know," Adrien snorted. "If someone has genuphobia then they can't go out to the street in summer."

"Or to the beach," Marinette added.

"And geniphobia, which is fear of chins."

"Equally impossible to go out or meet someone like with genuphobia," the girl mused, wondering how someone would cope with sich a fear. "And lepidopterophobia?"

"Fear of butterflies? That's legit considering the akumas," the boy wondered.

"Right," Marinette laughed. "I wouldn't be surpriesed to see someone shriek seeing a simple butterfly."

"Neither would I. Hawk Moth has been terrorizing us for what, nearly a year," Adrien thought.

"Yep, in a few month it will be a year. And hey, what about chromophobia?"

"Isn't that fear of colours? I know someone who has it."

"Really?" Marinette was genuenly surprised.

"Yep, he is an important aquaintamce of father and whenever he is invited to a dinner or a ball, the whole setting must be plain grey and black, and even the other people have to accomodate themselves to his chromophobia. Everything is grey and black whenever he is present," Adrien told remembering the various occasions the rich man attended. "You could say there were less than 50 shades of grey."

"Ha. Ha. Haa," Marinette dedpanned facepalming, making Adrien snort in glee. "And what about linonophobia? Fear of strings? Or asymmetriophobia? Fear of asymmetry?"

"Both absurd. And graphophobia, fear of handwriting or metrophobia? Fear of poetry?

"I never knew such fears existed. Or like parthenophobia, fear of virgins or young girls," the girl said thoughtfully.

"Why would... never mind. You can be afraid of any ridiculous thing like from beards, that is pogonophobia," the boy sighed exasperedly. "But what if someone has ouranophobia?" He asked wondering.

"What? Is that person afraid of the planet Uranious?"

"No silly, it's the fear of Heaven," Adrien chukled fondly.

"Why would someone be afraid of Heaven?" Marinette inquired blinking. "I mean, I'm not that much of a believer, but Heaven should be a nice place? Why would someone be afraid of it?"

"Who knows," Adrien shrugged. "In the end everyone is afraid, or at least mildly afraid of something, no matter how absurd it may sound, like optophobia."

"Which is?"

"Fear of opening one's eyes," Adrien stated matter of factly and Marinette was too stunned by the absurdity of the fear to comment. "Either way, everyone fears something, and many think they have to face fear on their own. This in a sence true, I suppose, but someone can always support you to get through it. Which is why friends are for. So, Mari," Adrien cleared his throat, "in case you need someone to talk to or just someone who listenes, feel free to call despite what time it is, ok?"

"S-sure Adrien, thanks really," Marinette said softly with a smile. Adrien smiled too and yawned. He looked out of the window and burst out laughing.

"Oh, God Mari! It's dawn!" He laughed and the girl noticed that the boy was right and she burst out laighing too.

"Geeze how much did we talk?" She mused.

"A lot," Adrien grinned joyously. He was over the moon because he managed to hold not only a decent conversation with Marinette, but also a loooong one (a reaaallly looong one) and they even opened up to each other. "It's nearly six o'clock!"

"That's when my allarm rings," the girl chuckled.

"Mine too," Adrien grinned. "I'm going to hang up now, okay?"

"Sure, love you," Marinette replied without thinking.

"Love you too," Adrien beamed, hanging up. As soon as they put the phone down their parting words dawned on them and both blushed furiously - a colour that rivaled a ripe red tomato and Ladybug's suit put together - in their own beds, both emmiting smoke from their ears making them weary of the possibility of igniting the fire allarm (especially with Marinette emmiting double the smoke because, holy shit Adrien said I love you too!). Both their kwamis were left wondering what they missed during the night. As Marinette dragged her tired feet towards the school, for once in time, Alya tackled her with thousand questions.

"What the hell girl? You look like you didn't sleep, yet ypu look like you were blessed by a unicorn!" In fact, Marinette had black circles under her eyes, she was pale but her cheeks were red and she wore a goofy grin.

"Whoa dudette, she's right y'know?" Nino added.

"I'm fine, perfectly fine," the girl said mentally totally elsewhere. Adrien arrived in an equal state (pale face, red cheeks, horribly dark circles under his eyes and a lovesick goofy grin), once they caught each other's eyes both blushed again and averted their eyes, making both Nino's and Alya's brows shoot up high.

"Now I'm doubly curious!" The reporter girl exclaimed. "What happened?"

"Nothing!" Adrien and Marinette hastily yelped in tandem.

"Nuh-uh, not buying it!" Alya grinned and Nino laughed shaking his head.

"Alya, clearly something happened," he said cheerily. "Let them figure it out amd you can pounce them later." The couple shot Nino a grateful look amd scrambled into the school. They had to ignore Alya's increadibly burning amd inquiring looks. Once the lesson was over Alya was about to start her Q&A session, but Adrien bolted and dashed out dragging Marinette along with him. They hid in one of the janitors' room, safe from any prying ears and eyes.

"God, Mari I-I-"

"N-no, d-don't," Mari squeaked. "I-I said it f-first." Damn her stutter was back. "S-sorry." Adrien's heart sank a bit.

"Did... Did you mean it?" He asked, heart pounding. Sure, his heart belonged to Ladybug, but unfortunately, he made the mistake of letting his heart being torn into two by two amazing girls. Marinette too, had a special place in his heart. And as he slowly got to know both, he kind of suspected something. The two looked earily alike and had similar personalitied to be honest. They knew far too much about the other but were never seen together. Back in reality, Marinette looked down and she mentally thanked the semi-darkness that was in the room for a sprinkle of sour cherry red dusted her freckled cheeks. She vigorously nodded, not trusting her voice. Adrien took in a sharp breath and gently took ahold of Marinette's chin, lifting her head and looking her in the eye, that were oh so Ladybug-like. He hoped, oh how he hoped his suspicions were correct. He needed to play this out correctly to be sure.

"Marinette, I... I meant it too," he quietly said, gingerly stroking the captivated girl's chin. "But I'm torn." Marinette blinked. The sadness in those oh-so-green eyes seemed familiar. The eyes themselves seemed familiar.

"Torn?" She croaked out, barely above whisper.

"Torn," he agreed, voice soft and dropping low. "Torn between two amazing girls, whom I desperately hope are one."

"W-What do you mean?" She whispered.

"I mean, Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Ladybug," he breathed out silently, watching Marinette's blue bell eyes widen. "They both stole my heart." He leaned his forhead against hers, her mouth slightly agape and the sudden urge to kiss those cherry blossom lips hit Adrien hard. "Aren't you torn, Marinette?" She cast her eyes down and gulped a bit, closing her mouth.

"I..." Ashamed she looked down and spoke, "n-now that you ask, I-I might be torn too." Her voice was barely audible, but Adrien heard it clearly. It was a gamble.

"May I take a wild guess and assume my competitor is..." his voice was low and silent as he paused for a dramaatic effect, "Chat Noir?" Marinette gasped, eyes widening.

"H-how...?" Perfect. The real gamble comes now. Now or never.

"And dare I assume... you are..." another pause, "Ladybug?" Marinette's eyes widen impossibly as her breath hitched. She looked down and gulped then looked back up.

"H-how d-did you..." Adrien could have danced and screamed due to joy. He. Was. Freaking. RIGHT! Now came the easy peasy part.

"Well, purrrincess~," he deliberately let the purr roll sweetly and seductively off his toungue, as Marinette's eyes widen even more, realising something. "It's hard not to spot it once someone gets to know both m'Lady and my Purrincess."

"C-Chat...?" She increduliously asked, mouth open in a surprised 'o' and Adrien sheepishly smiled.

"Yeah, that is, if you accept plain old me," he breathed. Marinette instantly jumped, tackling him and hugging his neck, kissing him feverishly. Adrien kissed back with equal passion, not caring that the kiss was sloppy and clearly awkward due to their inexperience. Well, practice makes perfect, and Adrien will make sure they got lots of practice.

"Finally!" Tikki cheered coming out of Marinette's purse and tackling a blushing Plagg. This made the couple part bashfully.

"Come on you cheesy lovebirds it was time you realised stuff," the black kwami grumbled, though with no actual edge. "I'm Plagg," he then said to Marinette. The girl smiled and scratched his chin, earning a long purr.

"Hey!" Adrien retorted and Tikki chuckled.

"Hi Adrien, it's nice to finally meet you in person. I'm Tikki," the red being smiled. Adrien blinked but smiled back nonetheless.

"How did you know my name?" He asked curiously.

"Well it's hard not to when all Marinette does is gush about you 24/7 and her room is full of your posters!" Tikki laughed earning a glare from Marinette. Adrien guffawed and cleared his throat with a grin.

"Mari, you never said you were that into me!"

"Shut up kiddo when you have every possible Ladybug item that exists," Plagg retorted grinning, making Marinette grin too.

"Now who's into who?" Her cheeky grin made Adrien really nervous. Mainly because it was so sassy.

"Um... well," he gulped, "we're both into each other and we just jad a heart-felt confession of our undieing love!" He said pouting. Tikki chuckled and Plagg and Marinette laughed.

"God how I love you," she murmured patting the boy's hair who let out a contented purr. Then the bell rang amd swearing they both exited the stuffy room (with the kwamis in Marinette's bag) hand in hand. Needless to say Alya amd Nino was extatic to hear their (partly made up) story about how they got together once they went back to the lesson.

Fin

 **AN: prompted by an idea on pinterest under "Imagine This #9". The main idea is that Mari wakes up in the middle of the night - like at 2 or 3 am, after a nightmare with teary eyes and through blurred eyes she thinks she called Alya. Instead she calls Adrien and tells him her nightmare without knowing who she's talking to. Adrien eventually speaks and calms Mari down and they speak till dawn about nightmares and fears and hang up with an 'I love you/I love you too'. I couldn't resist. Can anyone blame me? So I decided to write it into a fic and turn it into a reveal.**


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